title: Effects of advanced treatment systems on the removal of antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment plants from Hangzhou, China.
abstract: This study aimed at quantifying the concentration and removal of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in three municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) employing different advanced treatment systems [biological aerated filter, constructed wetland, and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection]. The concentrations of tetM, tetO, tetQ, tetW, sulI, sulII, intI1, and 16S rDNA genes were examined in wastewater and biosolid samples. In municipal WWTPs, ARG reductions of 1-3 orders of magnitude were observed, and no difference was found among the three municipal WWTPs with different treatment processes (p > 0.05). In advanced treatment systems, 1-3 orders of magnitude of reductions in ARGs were observed in constructed wetlands, 0.6-1.2 orders of magnitude of reductions in ARGs were observed in the biological aerated filter, but no apparent decrease by UV disinfection was observed. A significant difference was found between constructed wetlands and biological filter (p < 0.05) and between constructed wetlands and UV disinfection (p < 0.05). In the constructed wetlands, significant correlations were observed in the removal of ARGs and 16S rDNA genes (R(2) = 0.391-0.866; p < 0.05). Constructed wetlands not only have the comparable ARG removal values with WWTP (p > 0.05) but also have the advantage in ARG relative abundance removal, and it should be given priority to be an advanced treatment system for further ARG attenuation from WWTP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, People's Republic of China. chen_hong@zju.edu.cn
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mingmei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D062065:Wastewater; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D062065:Wastewater